Miss Universe Sheynnis Palacios sobs while clutching the Nicaraguan flag./MISS UNIVERSE PHILIPPINES FACEBOOK PHOTO
Overcome by emotions, reigning Miss Universe Sheynnis Palacios shed tears because of the immense love she felt from her Filipino fans at her motorcade held at the Mall of Asia complex in Pasay City on May 5.
The waterworks started the moment she stepped out of the red SUV that brought her to the parade’s starting point on Pacific Drive. In between sobs, she flashed her winsome smile and waved to the crowd who braved the intense tropical summer heat this dry season.
Atop a convertible decorated with flowers in the pattern of the Philippine flag, the Nicaraguan beauty was in all her queenly glory wearing an intricately-beaded bustier-bodied red ball gown. Thousands of her loyal “subjects” patiently waited along the parade route to get a glimpse of her, a vision preluded by a marching band.
The Miss Universe Philippines Organization (MUPH) brought her to Manila and threw her a parade that was dubbed a “homecoming,” to let Palacios know that she can consider the country her home, and to give her the experience she still had not had.
Tension between her national pageant organizer and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega had prevented her from coming back home after she became the first Miss Universe winner from Nicaragua. Her team was also not allowed to enter the Central American country.
Halfway through the parade, she pulled out a Nicaraguan flag, then cried again while clutching it tightly to her face and chest. She then laid the flag on her gown’s skirt bottom, and continued to return the love she has been getting from the people who were shouting “Sheynnis!” and “Nicaragua!” by responding with “thank you,” and “I love you.”
Snippets of the touching and emotional moment was caught on video and shared on social media, among them by one @bellelustre.
The MUPH also posted videos on its Instagram Stories.
At the end of the parade, with MUPH officials Jonas Gaffud, Voltaire Tayag, and Mario Garcia; and Miss Universe Organization (MUO) Vice Presidents Mario Bucaro and Olivia Quido-Co beside her car, Palacios greeted the people, “Mabuhay, Philippines (Long live the Philippines)! Hola, Filipinas (Hello, Philippines).”
Miss Universe Sheynnis Palacios waves to her Filipino fans who braved the intense summer heat just to get a glimpse of her./MISS UNIVERSE PHILIPPINES FACEBOOK PHOTO
She then thanked the people for welcoming her to the Philippines, and making her feel like it is her home. The queen also expressed her gratitude for the support she and the MUO has been receiving from the fans.
“We are more than a beauty pageant, we are the perfect platform for every single woman who want to celebrate every country that we have in our world. And Miss Universe is the platform to celebrate the diversity, the beauty in diversity that exists in our society today,” Palacios said.
“It is my mission and my responsibility to represent you, Filipino people, and obviously every single people around the world. It’s a pleasure to be your Miss Universe 2023, and I’m gonna keep working hard to leave a huge legacy for our society. Thank you for believing in me, and to support my dream, because my dream came true thanks to all of you. Gracias, Filipinas (thank you, Philippines),” she continued.
She then punctuated her short speech with a pageant-style introduction, “Sheynnis Palacios-Cornejo, Nicaragua!” and then her tears started to run down her cheeks again.
The reigning queen arrived on May 1 for the Manila leg of her Asian tour, that already took her to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and China. She is expected to leave on May 7, and is scheduled to visit India next.